Shelby County ranked top 50 in the nation

A national website recently ranked Shelby County as one of the top 50 best counties to live and raise a family America.

Shelby County came in at No. 50 out of 2,774 counties in the United States in a 2017 lists entitled “Best Counties to Live in America. “Best Counties for Families in America” on the national website, Niche.com. Shelby County also came in at No. 35 out of 2,770 counties in Niche.com’s “Best Counties for Families in America” listing.

The website based its rankings on multiple factors, including each county’s cost of living, quality of housing, public schools, diversity and crime rates. The data was compiled from the U.S. Census, the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources.

Shelby County’s overall grade on Niche.com is an A+, with an A+ in public schools and an A+ in the “good for families” category. Shelby County also earned an A in housing, a B+ in nightlife and diversity and a B in crime and safety.

A review from a current resident accentuated the county’s development of new businesses and steadily increasing job market.

“The small towns of this county are all different, but they all have the same goal of being better and providing for the community,” the review stated.

Shelby County was one of the only two counties from Alabama that were ranked within the top 50 best counties in the country. Madison County came in at No. 35.

Shelby County was the only Alabama county to be ranked in the top 50 as one of the best places for families.

Shelby county also ranked No. 67 in the listing “Best Counties to Buy a House in America,” and No. 71 in “Counties with the Best Public Schools in America,” according to Niche.com.